Exactly mate. Its not actually a moan, we all understand what billions can get you but what we all want to see is a step wise improvement in the quality of the first team and squad year on year so that we can stop looking over our shoulders every season at relegation and start getting near where a club of our size (now)should be. I think top 8 is where we should be but suspect we will be about 13th or 14th.

To do that means investing in quality. Ayew was an attempt but we overpaid so I realise money alone is not in step with the quality of the player and it is also how he fits in with the existing squad. But this summer we need not 2 players to get us to the next level as Sullivan says. That is absolute nonsense and delusional and insults the fans intelligence. We need at least 3 ready to go into the first team at striker, right back and central midfield alongside Obiang IMHO. On top of that investment in younger prospects with sell on value if they do not make the grade. Fernandes is like that although I think he looks like he could make it in the first team but needs more time on the pitch and beefing up :-)

Point is that the big move to the OS and the big talk has to be matched with material improvement on the pitch or the unwritten contract between S & G, Brady and the fans is not fulfilled IMO.

Didn't Man City get punished by only being allowed to have 23 instead of 25 in their Champions League squad or somesuch?Doubt it would stand up in a court of law but it's a good get out for pornographers looking to keep their costs down.

Sir AlfIt's about wages not transfer feesNeed to bin some people who are ineffective on silly wagesFrom injury prone strikers who never play to pointless crap like Tore, Arbeloa, Nordviedt etc etc who hoover up wages with no on field contribution.

I think owners, manager and team are doing fine.Some setbacks this year, but not difficult to explain or understand. For me we are definitely going in the right direction looking at the longer term picture.I have no doubt we will make some good buys in the summer and do better next year.I am really enjoying West Ham with Bilic and the dildo brothers.

Sullivan has said we only need 2 players assume a RB and striker. The 30m-50m lazarettes and Baccas of this world clearly won't join us as they want champs league, which explains why we nearly signed Hogan from Brentford for 15m.

I see us signing a 20m to 25m striker so it can be said that our transfer record has been broken again and 10m on RB along with the usual loans and freebies. Got to payoff that loan interest @7℅!

I want money spent on quality but must admit have not paid enough attention to FFP which has effectively stopped us doing it? Weren't S & G very vocal supporters of FFP? I wonder why?... Hmmm.... so they always had an excuse not to spend?

Some of Alex's view has merit in the area sucg as lack of longer term vision which has led us to creating no resale value except this season where we go 37 million for Payet and Tomkins assuming that Snoddy and Fonte came out of the existing budget, which included Tomkins, then we should have 25 million to spend next season in addition to 50 million we always say we will spend ? Does FFP allow that? 75 - 80 million?

Still has to be invested wisely and NOT in proven Premiership players of 27+ years old !! That's like buying a clapped out Mercedes that still goes well but will fall apart in a year or two?

The big problem is what we are all seeing.....Raised expectations to ensure we were not too vocal against the move... and so far... no improvement on the pitch and in fact we went backwards this season...

This is the crux of the problem. If we can see real progress and perhaps the better younger players being purchased for the future and some real quality being purchased all resulting in a top 8 position then the grumbling might subside a bit?

It was an unwritten contract by the Dildo Bros. We move on the promise of a better team. Ok, only 2 thirds of the first season gone so I will give them a little more time. This summer's activity in the transfer market needs to be a whole lot better.

Schneiderlin was a good purchase. Type of player we should go for and in a position we need strengthening in. He looked good against Spurs and back to his Southampton form. Everton are who we should be aiming to catch but are even a way behind them now IMO.

I don't WANT any of that, it's what is required to keep 55,000+ bums on seats and is what ALL the other clubs in our league are doing with this type of capacity stadium. Man City tried our way and eventually had to get bought out to do it the only way that works and keeps people interested.

While I broadly agree with the sentiments, I think you're falling into the trap of blaming our failures on inexpensive and fairly irrelevant squad signings (ie the bargains). Rather than the expensive and important flops. Fonte and Snodgrass were not cheap either.